Car coupler mechanism



Oct. 6, 1931. w. KELSO 1,825,908

CAR COUPLER MECHANISM Filed Sept. 27, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l Ot.6, 1931. w. KELSO 1,825,908

CAR COUPLER MECHANISM Filed Sept. 27. 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Oct. 6, I931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM KELSO, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE MCCON'WAY 86 i TORLEY COI MPANYfOF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENN- SYLVANIA CAR COUPLER MECHANISM Application filed September 27, 1928. Serial No. 308,732.

of its lock-to-the-lock device, the locking My invention relates to car coupler mechanism and has for its object to provide'means for reliably preventing the locking device by which the outward rotation of the knuckle is normally restrained from accidentally jarring to unlocked position, especially where the means for actuating the lock to cause concerned with the provision of means for insuring thatthe device usually employed for locking the coupler lock in locked position shall not be accidentally thrown or jarred to a position releasing the lock from its control.

The uncoupling devicewvhich is at present used to a large extent upon freight cars for unlocking car couplers is of the jointed lever or push-down type, the fulcrum or pivot pin about which the lever members turn being so positioned that the parts are only slightly out of balance. It, therefore, results that the inner end of the uncoupling lever may be somewhat easily jarred or jolted upwardly as the car upon which it is mounted moves along.

the track. If the track is in good condition and the speed of the train is moderate, the

' .upward jarring movements of the inner end of the uncoupling lever device are not of sufficient extent to release the means with which car couplers are commonly provided for preventing the knuckle locking block from accidentally creeping upward to unlocked position. Under circumstances of se- Vere service, however, as for example where the track is in bad condition, the speed is high and freight cars are used in express service, the car bodies are subjected to severe jolting which sometimes results in an accidental upward movement of the inner end of the uncoupling lever sufficiently vigorous to move the means by which the locking block is normallylocked against accidental unlocking to a position freeing the latter from-the control of said means. If, as is frequently the case, there is little or no pull on the coupler knuckles at the time the locking block is thus accidentally released from the control block, not then being clamped between the tail of the knuckle and the side wall of the coupler head, is free to jump upward to lock set position, thereby permitting the knuckle to perform an uncoupling rotation allowing the train to part. By my invention the car coupler is provided with means for prevent-' ing an uncoupling device of the jointed lever type from accidentally causing a releasing movement of the means by which the coupler locking block is normally retained in locked position. 1

The principal feature of the invention, generally stated, consists in associating with the knuckle locking block a lock lifter memher which extends into the coupler head and is adapted to cooperate therewith to prevent an accidental unlocking movement of the lock, the lifter being combined with an uncoupling device of the jointed lever type and being formed with a shoulder normally extending under the top wall of the coupler head to limit accidental uncoupling movement of the lever device, and means extending into the coupler and adapted to be actuated by the uncoupling lever device being provided for preventing said lock lifter from accidentally shifting to a position withdrawing its said shoulder from beneath the upper wall of the coupler head, said means having an angular slot for receiving a portion of said uncoupling lever device.

Other features of the invention relating to special details of construction and advantageous combinations of parts will hereinafter appear and be pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a car coupler embodying the invention showing its relation to an uncoupling device of the jointed lever type, portions ofthe car upon which the coupler and its uncoupling device are mounted being also illustrated.

Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the construction shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a view of the car coupler and associated uncoupling device, the View being in side elevation and partly in vertical section and the parts being on normal locked position.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view, partly in side elevation and partly in vertical section showing the positions assumed by the parts when the lock lifter has been partially raised as aresult ofan accidental upward movement of the uncoupling lever.

Figure 5 is a view corresponding to Figure 4 but showing the relation of the parts when the locking block has been released from the control of the means by which it is normally locked in locked position.

Figure 6 is a detail elevational view of the lock lifter and the means associated therewith for preventing its accidental actuation by the uncoupling lever.

Figure 7 is a front elevational View of the members shown in Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a sectional View on the line 88, Figure 6.

Figure 9 is a sectional View on the line 99, Figure 6.

In the well-known standard D type coupler, which has been shown in the drawings for the purpose of explaining the invention, 1 indicates the coupler head, 2 is the knuckle pivotally mounted thereon, 3 is the locking block by which outward rotation of the knuckle is normally prevented and 4 is the horizontally rotatable knuckle ,opener lever that is actuated by the locking block to force the knuckle to open position. These several parts of the coupler may be of standard form but, if desired and as shown in the drawings, the well known standard locking block may advantageously be provided upon its rear side below the slot 5 therein with a bevelled face 6 for cooperating with the forward undercut face 7 of a downwardly projecting lug 8 at the lower end of the lock lifter 9, such construction being fully described in my pending application for Letters Patent of the United States, Serial No. 282,446. It is deemed pref:

erable to provide the lock lifter 9 with the undercut lug at its lower end and to form the locking block 3 with the cooperating bevelled face 6, rather than to strictly adhere to the precise form of the standard looking block, for this construction hasbeen found to be effective in preventing the locking block from accidentally moving to unlocked position under all conditions except where the uncoupling device is of the ointed lever type and then only when the car is subjected to unusually severe jolting due to its passage at high speed over bad track.

Toward its lower end the lock lifter 9 has an upwardly facing shoulder 10 for cooperating with the lower end of the lockdown lug 11 on the interior of the coupler head to'lock the lock 3 in locked position. When the parts are in locked position the rear face12 of the lifter engages the lockdown lug 11 andthus serves to limit rearward movement of the lower end of the lifter. For slidably and rotatably connecting the lifter to the locking block 3 the lifter is provided near its lower end with oppositely disposed trunnions 13 which 0 erated in shouldered guideways 14 of the loc ing block in the well-known manner. The movable connection of the lifter to the locking block 'thus eifectcd permits the shoulder 10 of the lifter to be withdrawn from beneath lockdown lug 11 of the coupler head and enables the locking block 3 to have the swinging movements allowing it to assume lockset position and to cooperate with the knuckle opener 4 so as to actuate the latter.

The lock lifter 9, which projects upwardly through an opening 15in the top wall of the coupler head, is formed below its upper end with a forwardly extending shoulder 16 which normally stands under the adjacent portion 17 of the top wall of the coupler head when the locking block 3 is in locked position, said shoulder preferably being spaced downwardly a short distance from the overlying wall of the head. The upper end of the lock lifter is provided with a vertically elongated slotor aperture 18 for receiving the'end portion 19 of the inner lever member 20 of the uncoupling device of the jointed lever type.

Extending downwardly through the opening 15 of the coupler head and lying closely adjacent to the lock lifter 9 is a member 21 which functions as means for preventing the accidental escape of the locking shoulder 16 of the lifter from beneath the overlying portion 17 of the top wall of the coupler head. The lower end of the member 21, which by preventing the withdrawal of the shoulder 16 from beneath the top wallof the coupler head insures that the lock-to-the-lock shoulder 10 at the lower end of the lifter shall not accidentally escape from beneath the lockdown lug of. the coupler head, is supported laterally byextending into the slot 5 of the locking block between the lock lifter 9 and the adjacent wall of the look. It projects into the slot 5 a distance suflicient to enable its lower end to remain in said slot when the lifter 9 is raised to the highest position it may occupy with respect to the lock,,3. All dan er of the lower end of the lifter locking mem er 21 escaping from the slot 5 and being supported on the top of the look so as to prevent the parts from dropping to locked position in the act of coupling is thereby avoided.

The member 21 and the-upper portion of the lock lifter 9 are preferablyof such thickness that when in assembled relation side by side they may extend through the standard size and shape of lock lifter opening 15 in the top wall of the coupler head, thus enabling these parts to be substituted for the usual lifter of the standard D type coupler. In order to afford ample area for resisting wear so as thus to insure long life in service,

the inclined lock-to-the-lock-shoulder 10 of the lock lifter is preferably the same width as the combined thickness of the overlapped upper portions of the members 9 and 21; and for a similar reason the shoulder 16 on the lifter which cooperates with the top wall of the coupler head projects laterally from the upper portion of the lifter, as shown in Fig ure 8, so as to overlap the forward surface of the member 21. The change in thickness of the lock lifter 9 provides an upwardly facing inclined shoulder 22 for cooperating with the lower end of the member 21 to prevent rearward rotation of the latter around the end portion 19 of the inner uncoupling lever member as a center.

.The opening'23 at the upper end of the lifter locking member 21 through which the end portion 19 of the inner uncoupling lever member 20 projects is elongated vertically to form a lost motion connection permitting the lock lifter 9 to move upwardly with respect to the member 21 a sufficient distance to bring the shoulder 16 into engagement with the overlying portion 17 of the coupler head while the member 21 remains in substantially its lowest position. The lower portion 24 of the opening 23 is constricted so as closely to embrace the end portion 19 of the uncoupling lever, thus providing a substantially vertical rear shoulder 25 adapted to cooperate with the portion 19 of the uncoupling lever mechanism to resist rearward shifting of the latter when the parts are in normal locked relation. The upper portion of the lever receiving opening 23 is widened as at 26 so as to extend upwardly and rearwardly from its lower constricted portion, the lower rear wall 27 of the wider part being inclined to provide a slope down which the inner end 19 of the uncoupling lever may slide when the latter is released after having been moved by the operator. 4

When the partsoccupy normal locked rela tion, as shown in Figure 3, the shoulder 16 upon the lock lifter is held in cooperating locking relation. to the top wall of the coupler head by means of the lifter lockingmember 21 whose rear face 28 then stands substantiaL ly in contact with the rear wall of the open? ing 15 in the coupler head. As the member 21 has shouldered engagement at 25 with the portion 19 of the inner uncoupling lever member 20, an accidental rearward movement of the latter tending to withdraw the shoulder 16 from beneath the overlying portion 17 of the coupler head is prevented. Similarly the engagement of the forward face 29 with the'forward wall of the opening 1? in the coupler head arrests accidental forward movement of the portion 19 of the uncoupling lever mechanism. Sudden stopping or starting of the train or severe applicationof brakes to reduce speed thus cannot result in throwing the.in-

ner end of the uncoupling Lever to a position I an outer lever member 31 actuates an inner I lever member 20 to cause the free end 19 of the latterto move upwardly. These two lever members, 20 and 31 respectively, are pivotally mounted at 32 upon a bracket 33 secured to.

the car body, the inner end 34 of the outer lever member extending under the inner lever member 20 so as to be capable of imparting an upward or uncoupling rotation to the latter.

The coupler is unlocked by operating the uncoupling lever mechanism in the usual manner except that the operator should move the outer end of the handle or lever member 31 forwardly as it is forced downward. This forward movement, which the normal loose? ness of the uncoupling lever members on their pivot permits, causes the inner end portion 19 of the inner lever member 20 to move upward and rearward-to theextreme upper end of the widened part 26 of the opening 23 in the top ofthe lifter locking member 21, thus shifting the upper end of the lock lifter 9 a suflicient.

distance rearwardly to withdraw its shoulder 16 from beneath the overlying portion 17 of the top wall of the coupler head and bring said shoulder into alinement with the slot 15 of the coupler. When the shoulder 16 has thus been retracted from beneath the portion 17 of the coupler head the lock lifter!) and the member 21 by which it is controlled are free to be raised and the locking block 3 may therefore be caused either to assume lockset position or to execute the extended unlocking movement necessary to rotate the knuckle openerlever forforcing'the knuckle to open position.

The mechanism may be assembled by inserting the lock lifter 9 through the throat of the coupler head 1 and then associating the locking block 3 and knuckle 2 with the coupler head in the usual way. When this has been accomplished the locking block 3 is raised to lockset position. This having been done the member 21 is inserted from above through the opening 15 in the top wall of the coupler head, whereupon the portion 19 of the inner uncoupling lever member 20 may be passed through the apertures 18 and 23 respectively formed in'the lock lifter 9 and its controlling member 21. The uncoupling de vice may then be pivotally mounted upon the v bracket 33, thus completing the assembly.

I claim:

tion of a coupler head, a rotatable knuckle, a lock for the knuckle, a lock lifter movably connected to said lock and extending upwardly therefrom through the coupler head, a lifter locking member extending downwardly through the upper wall of the coupler head and cooperating with the latter to prevent accidental movement of said lifter longitudinally of the coupler head, and an uncoupling lever device having an upwardly movable inner end portion extending through and adapted to actuate said lifter member and said lifter locking member, said coupler head being provided on its interior with a lockdown lug, said lifter member being formed with a shoulder normally projecting under and cooperating with said lug to prevent an accidental unlocking movement of said lock, and also being formed with a shoulder adapted to extend under and cooperate with the top wall of the coupler head to prevent the accidental escape of said first named shoulder from beneath said lug, and the upper end portions of said lifter and said lifter locking member being relatively movable to cause said last named shoulder to be withdrawn from beneath said wall.

2." In car coupler mechanism, the combination of a couplerhead, a rotatable knuckle, a lock for the knuckle, a lock'lifter movably connected to said lock and extending upwardly therefrom through the coupler head, said lock being provided with an upwardly and rear-wardly opening slot into which said lifter extends, an uncoupling lever device having an upwardly movable inner end portion extending through and adapted to actuate said litter, and a lifter locking member extending downwardly. through the coupler head and projecting into said slot, said head being provided on its interior with a lockdown lug, said lifter being formed with a plurality of spaced shoulders,one of which is adapted to cooperate with said lug to prevent an accidental unlocking movement of said lock and one of which is adapted to cooperate with the top wall of the coupler head to retain the other shoulder in looking rela-L tion to said lug, and said lifter lockin member being adapted to cooperate with t e coupler head to prevent accidental movement of said lifter to a position permitting an unlocking movement of said lock.

3. In car coupler mechanism, the combination of a coupler head, a rotatable knuckle, a lock for the knuckle, a lock lifter movably connected to said lock and extending upward 1y therefrom through the coupler head, an uncoupling lever. device having an upwardly movable inner end portion extending through and adapted to actuate said lifter member,'

said coupler head being formed on its interior with a lockdown lug, said lock lifter being to extend under said lug and the other of which is adapted to cooperate with a portion of the coupler head'to prevent withdrawal of said lifter from beneath said lug, and means cooperating with said head for preventing accidental movement of said lifter from normal locked position, said means being adapted to be actuated by said uncoupling lever device.

4. In car coupler mechanism, the combina tion of a coupler head, a rotatable'knucklc, a lock for the knuckle, a lock lifter 'movably connected to said lock and extending upwardly therefrom through the coiipler head,

said lifter being provided with an upper shoulder and with a lower shoulder, each of said shoulders being adapted to cooperate with the coupler head and said upper shoulder being adapted to prevent release of said lower shoulder from cooperation with said head, an uncoupling lever device having an upwardly movably inner end portion extending through and adapted to actuate said lifter member, and a litter locking member for cooperating with said head to retain said upper shoulder in cooperating engagement with said head, said lever device being adapted to cause an initial movement of said lifter independently of said lifter locking member.

5. In car coupler mechanism, the combination of a coupler head a rotatable knuckle, a lock for the knuckle, a lock lifter movably connected to said lock and extending upwardly therefrom through the coupler head, said lock being provided with a slot for receiving the lower end of said lifter, said head having upon its interior a lockdown lug, said lifter having a lower shoulder adapted to project under said lug to retain said lock in locked position and having an upper shoulder for cooperating with the coupler head to prevent accidental withdrawal of said lower shoulder from beneath said lug, said shoulders being disposed upon opposite sides of said lifter and being rigidl connected, and means cooperating with said lifter and the coupler head for normally retaining said upper shoulder in cooperating relation to said head. I

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

WILLIAM KELSO.

provided with a plurality of rigidly connected spaced shoulders, one of which is adapted 

